| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. |
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| 1 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts! |
How amiable – How lovely. D652
In the eyes of all who have the same spirit. R1401:6
Tabernacles – Dwelling places. D652
"Ye are the temple of the living God." (2 Cor. 6:16) R2080:3*
Wherever God is, there is his Tabernacle. Wherever there is a loyal consecrated heart, there is the dwelling place of God. R2080:3*
Such are not only tabernacles individually, but the Church of Christ as a whole is one great Temple of the future. R1401:6
O LORD of hosts – Jehovah of hosts. D652
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| 2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. |
My soul longeth – After more and more of the manifestations of the divine favor. R2080:3*
Courts of the LORD – Wherein the individual tabernacles will be brought together into one grand holy Temple of God. R1401:6
Crieth out for – Shout with joy unto. D652
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| 3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God. |
Yea, the sparrow – Leeser's translation is better: "Even as the sparrow hath found a house and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, (so have I found) thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, my God." R1402:2
Even thine altars – Even so have I found thy altars. D652
The Brazen altar in the Court representing the ransom-sacrifice of Christ, and the Golden altar representing the Church's acceptableness as joint sacrificers with him. R1402:2
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| 4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. |
Blessed are they – Happy are they. D652
In thy house – Now, or at any time. R1402:2
They will be still – They shall be continually. D652
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| 5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. |
Whose strength – Whose strong confidence. D652
In whose heart – Whose heart reflecteth wholly on the paths of righteousness. D652
The ways of them – Portraying the journey of the consecrated toward the heavenly home. R1402:2
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| 6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. |
The valley of Baca – The valley of mourning, or "tears." D653
"The valley of the shadow of death." (Psa. 23:4) R1402:4
Make it a well – Turn it into a place of joy-springs, a "Valley of Blessings." D653
The rain also – The outpouring of the Millennial blessing, after the great time of trouble has ended, at the second advent. R1402:4
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| 7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. |
Strength to strength – A matter of growth. "First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." (Mark 4:28) R5912:6
Showing the progressiveness of the journey. R1402:4
Every one of them – It is an individual work, not a congregational or sectarian one. R1402:4
Appeareth – May be presented perfect. D653
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| 8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah. |
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| 9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. |
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| 10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. |
Than a thousand – Elsewhere. R1402:4, R2080:3*
Be a doorkeeper – Wait during the present life for admission to the Father's house. R1402:4
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| 11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. |
For the LORD God – Even while we wait for admission into his presence. R1402:4
Is a sun – To shine upon our pathway and into our hearts, enlightening us and filling us with a sense of his greatness and perfection. R1906:2, R1402:4, R4219:6
And shield – To protect us from all the fiery darts of the wicked. R1906:4
The merit of Christ is freely imputed to all who will accept it as their covering or shield. R1402:5
Grace and glory – Favor and honor, mingled with tribulation working patience. R1402:5
No good thing – Really advantageous and useful to fit us for admission to the Father's house. R1402:5, R5835:5
Yea, even chastisements and sorrowful experiences. R5654:2
Our bread and water shall be sure. (Isa. 33:16) R2326:3[R2326:5]
Will he withhold – For the proper development of his children. R5296:4
Even in this present life. R2087:4
But he requires sometimes that we wait for a considerable time. At other times there may be a speedy answer. R5835:5
It is improper for saints to ask alms. R4101:5*
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| 12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. |
Blessed is the man – Now and forever. R1402:5
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